Posts from the “Nourish” Category

WHATEVER IT IS, THE WHOLE TOWN HAS IT. THE COUGH, THE GUNK, THE GRUMP. IT GOES AWAY, THEN, WITH THE NEXT PLAY DATE, IT COMES BACK. HERE’S HOW WE GET IT TO GO WHEN IT DOES. It’s our old family recipe from way back when – I come from generations & generations of healers on both sides. I didn’t get that gene, but somehow I managed to marry one. This tea is hard core. Spicy, super sweet, super lemony, filled with blood cleaners, liver de-toxers, cell wishers. Well, maybe not cell-swishers. But we use it for everything from the shakes to strep throat to the cramps. A couple of cousins use it for hangovers (ahem). Local ingredients carry all kinds of crazy…

THERE IS AN UNSPOKEN CHORUS I SEEM TO GET LOST IN WHEN WINTER ROLLS MY WAY – THE SUN WILL NOT RETURN TO US. IT’S A LIE OF COURSE, UNRAVELING DAY AFTER DAY AS THE WARMTH SPREADS THROUGH MY MORNING WINDOW. His light is a far off promise of some other age – but when the cold air pools and settles, I believe the lie fully and completely. Yet the ground beneath our feet knows sacred Truth and offers us a chance to craft our own warmth with her offerings. “Ginger root, love,” she tells us. Grandmother Ginger stirs the cauldron, tending the fire that reaches our bones, spreading her warmth over us. Full of minerals like copper, potassium and magnesium, ginger root…

As mammals we are designed to retreat and slow as the temperatures dips. We crave warmth, richer foods and more rest. When I am work with clients one of the things I council them on is how to gently navigate our new cravings and needs during Winter. Women worry about how much more they seem to be eating and how their clothes seems to fit a little differently. I assure them that all is well, I believe that as animals (advanced as we are) have “seasonal bodies”. It’s normal to put on an extra 5-10 pounds. When the Spring thaw comes those extra pounds will melt just as easily. The key is to figure out what is causing those extra pounds. …

The name “Imbolc” comes from Celtic origin: oimelc means “ewe’s milk,” after the lactating sheep that have given birth to their lambs. This is also the time of a dwindling food supply. Stored root vegetables from last autumn, along with fresh milk and lamb, are the main staples during this time of year in the northern climates. That is why these foods are typically used for an imbolc celebration. Any root vegetable will work in a gratin. Try potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, parsnips, and even winter squash. Gratins aren’t picky. You really don’t need a recipe. Just make sure to thinly slice your onions and root vegetables. Use fresh cream or raw milk. Sometimes I sprinkle the top with almond flour when I…

Adapted for the holidays, this dairy-free, vegan beverage is a perfect alternative elixir for egg-nog. Hot turmeric milk, also known as haldi ka doodh, is renowned as an Ayurvedic immunity-boosting remedy with all kinds of benefits. The active ingredient in turmeric is curcumin, a magical and powerful anti-inflammatory and cancer-busting molecule. It is warm and spicy but not overpowering. It is most bioavailable when cooked, so this recipe calls for some heat — but it can be served cold after as well. Ingredients: 4 cups milk (I love the Califa Farms’s Toasted Coconut Almond milk blend) 1-2 tbs. turmeric (more if you like a stronger flavor) 1 tsp. vanilla extract 3-5 tbs. raw honey (to taste) dash…

There are plenty of reasons to incorporate bone broth into your wintertime self-care routine. It’s a magical elixir that will support your immunity and is much less expensive than buying supplements (plus it won’t just pass through your system unused!). Bone Broth Recipe 1. Gather a couple pounds of beef bones, you want to use bones with cartilage and bone marrow. If you’d like, pre-roast the bones to enhance the flavor of your broth. 2. Place the bones in a large dutch oven and cover with water and a splash of vinegar which will pull the minerals from the bones and infuse your broth with deep nutrients. 3. Put your vegetable and seasoning of choice into the broth and bring to a boil, lower and simmer…

This menu takes several weeks, and even several camp kitchens to bring together, for an insane meal on the dock. We push simple, low, weather-silvered tables together for in impromptu buffet, using vintage plates to warm our laps. My first year in New Hampshire was a revelation in language and temperature ~ everything good was “wicked,” and everything possible happened in the sky. It’s tempered my soul in the best way, forcing me to live with the harsher elements, at first to get my food and family on, though I’ve stayed for the beauty and culture of the island. We gather all the ingredients from local farm stands, like Picnic Rock, which has been run by the same family since 1831. We love…

I hate being sick. I hate when my kids are sick. I hate when the whole town is sick. I know that sickness can be really beneficial. I know that when we allow our bodies to burn in sickness our immunities build and that our children incarnate into their older bodies with high fevers. I know all that. But I can’t help hating when kids suffer, when my house feels bogged down with illness and I also don’t enjoy dragging my un-well body all around taking care of business. So once the cold and flu season comes around these parts, I do two things: *I state an intention: May we all be blessed with vibrant health and well be-ing throughout this season unless illness…